Railroad car positioner

ABSTRACT

A carriage, movable back and forth parallel to a line of coupled cars on a track, supports a horizontally sliding jaw which can be moved horizontally away from one side of the carriage. The outer end of the jaw is shaped to substantially engage one side of the coupler between a pair of coupled cars, and means are provided for pivotally connecting the inner end of a jaw hook to the sliding jaw on a transverse axis with the hook normally inclined upwardly away from the outer end of the sliding jaw and having a downwardly projecting outer end. After the outer end of the hook has passed over the coupler, means are operative for swinging the hook down and for moving the pivotal means and hook inwardly along the sliding jaw to pull the outer end of the hook close to the coupler. Movement of the carriage, now connected with the coupler, will move the cars along the track to the desired position.

United States Patent Rose [ 1 Oct. 3, 1972 [54] RAILROAD CAR POSITIONER Bennie A. Rose, Mount Lebanon, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Heyl 8: Patterson, Inc., Pittsburgh,

[22] Filed: June 2, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 149,150

[7 2] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner--Lawrence J. Oresky Attorney-Brown, Murray, Flick & Peckham [57] ABSTRACT A carriage, movable back and forth parallel to a line of coupled cars on a track, supports a horizontally sliding jaw which can be moved horizontally away from one side of the carriage. The outer end of the jaw is shaped to substantially engage one side of the coupler between a pair of coupled cars, and means are provided for pivotally connecting the inner end of a jaw hook to the sliding jaw on a transverse axis with the hook normally inclined upwardly away from the outer end of the sliding jaw and having a downwardly projecting outer end. After the outer end of the hook has passed over the coupler, means are operative for swinging the hook down and for moving the pivotal means and hook inwardly along the sliding jaw to pull the outer end of the hook close to the coupler. Movement of the carriage, now connected with the coupler, will move the cars along the track to the desired position.

, 8Pra ns Figures PATENTEDoma m2 3.695.185

sum u BF 4 ATTORNEYS.

RAILROAD CAR POSITIONER Railroad car positioners are used for periodically moving cars a predetermined distance along a track to a loading or unloading position. One known type utilizes a carriage that is moved back and forthalong the side of the cars and is provided with an arm that can be swung from an upright position down to a substantially horizontal position between two coupled cars to move them along the track. An objection to such a car positioner is that the downward movement of the arm may be obstructed by such things as end mounted hand brake wheels and the platforms on which the brakeman stands to operate the brake, as well as air hoses that may be coupled between cars above the car coupler.

It is among the objects of this invention to providea railroad car positioner which has an arm that will slide horizontally in between coupled cars and grip the coupler between them, and which forms a compact unit when retracted and not connected to the cars.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the car positioner with its jaws in a retracted position;

FIG. 2 is an end view showing the positioner in laterally extended position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end view showing the positioner extended but with the jaw hookretracted;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side view' taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line VV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a modification;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the preceding figure; and

FIG. 8 is a cross section taken on the line VIIIVIII of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a track of system 1 is laid beside a length of railroad track (not shown) along which coupled railroad cars 2 (FIG. 1) are moved. The cars are designed for carrying bulk material, such as coal or ore. The track leads to a loading or dumping station at which it is desired to position each car in succession so that it can be loaded or emptied. This is done without uncoupling the cars. For this purpose, a carriage is mounted on the track system 1 beside the track. The carriage has a long body 3, with wheels 4 at its opposite ends running on the rails. The tops of the rails have laterally spaced vertical flanges 5 between them, between which horizontal wheels6 are disposed. These wheels are rotatably connected to the bottom of the carriage body to absorb side thrust and keep the carriage centered on the rails.

Rigidly mounted on the central portion of the carriage body is a carriage bed 8 that projects from opposite sides of the body. Secured to the opposite sides of the car end of the bed, which of course is the end nearest the railroad cars, are long brackets 9 that extend lengthwise of the carriage, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. A large sheave 10 is journalled in the outer end of each bracket for receiving a cable 11. The cables extend away from the carriage to suitable well known means, by which the cables pull the carriage back and forth along rails 1. The means for operating the cables form no part of this invention.

Slidably mounted on carriage bed 8 for movement lengthwise of it is a long rectangular arm 13. When the arm is in retracted position as shown in FIG. 1, it does not project from the bed to any appreciable extent. For extending the arm from the car end of the bed, a pair of hydraulic cylinders 14 are secured to brackets 15 mounted on the opposite end of the bed. These cylinders extend inwardly over the bed and contain pistons, the rods 16 of which are secured to brackets 17 on top of the central portion of the arm. When the piston rods are extended, the outer end of the arm will be moved several feet away from the adjacent side of the carriage, as shown in FIG. 2.

The arm 13 also serves as a guide bed for a sliding jaw 19. This jaw likewise is mostly rectangular, although its outer end is recessed as shown in FIG. 1 to fit the side of a coupler 20 between a pair of coupled cars. In its retracted position the jaw is located entirely between the opposite ends of the arm. To extend the sliding jaw from the outer end of the arm, a pair of parallel cylinders 21 are connected to brackets 22 on the inner end of the arm, and their piston rods 23 are connected to brackets 24 on the central portion of the aw. v

Although the sliding jaw will engage one side of a coupler, in order to grip the coupler it is necessary to engage or nearly engage its opposite side also. For this purpose, a jaw hook 26 is provided. The inner end of this hook is pivoted and slidably mounted on the outer end portion of the sliding jaw. The hook extends out beyond the jaw and has a downturned outer end. The connection between the hook and the sliding jaw is formed by providing-the inner end of the hook with a pair of laterally projecting trunnions 27 that extend into horizontal slots 28 formed in the inner ends of parallel walls 29 extending up from the sliding jaw on both sides of the book. The trunnions can be moved back and forth in these slots by means of a cylinder 30 pivoted at one end in brackets 31 extending upwardly from the inner end of the sliding jaw. The cylinder contains a piston, the rod 32 of which is connected to a pivot pin 33 extending through downwardly extending lugs 34 integral with the inner end of the book.

When the piston rod is extended, it moves the trunnions forward in slots 28 until they are stopped by the front of the slots. Further movement of the piston rod then causes hook 26 to rock on the axis of the trunnions and thereby swing its outer end upwardly far enough to pass over the coupler, as shown in FIG. 2. The uncoupled position of the hook is this tilted position that is maintained by fluid pressure in the blind end of cylinder 30, so whenever the sliding jaw is moved between a pair of coupled cars the hook can pass over the coupler. Then the fluid pressure is released from the blind end of the cylinder and applied to the opposite end to retract the piston rod. This'will cause the outer end of the hook to swing down to its lower position and will slide the hook inwardly on the sliding jaw to bring the depending outer end of the hook against the far side of the coupler, as shown in FIG. 3. Then, when the carriage 3 is moved along its rails, it will move the string of cars ahead the desired distance. While the hook is in its lower or operating position it is locked there by means of lugs 36 projecting from its opposite sides into outwardly opening notches 37 in the outer ends of walls 29. When the hook is moved outwardly again, these lugs will move forward out of the notches so that the hook can swing up.

To release the car positioner from the cars, fluid pressure in cylinder 30 is reversed to move the jaw hook outwardly on the sliding jaw until trunnions 27 can move no further, and then the outer end of the hook will be swung up. The arm 13 then can be retracted on the carriage bed 8, and the sliding jaw can be retracted on the arm. The result will be that the hook will end up over the carriage bed, and only a few inches of the sliding jaw will project beyond the car end of that bed, as shown in FIG. 1. The car positioner then can be moved back along the rails of the track system 1 with plenty of clearance between it and the cars beside it.

The fluid pressure cylinders are operated and controlled by a hydraulic pressure system provided with suitable valves for delivering fluid pressure to one end or the other of each cylinder, depending upon whether the car positioner is being attached to a car coupler or disengaged from it. Since the car positioner moves straight in and out between the cars, hand brake wheels and their associated platforms, and air hoses and the like do not interfere with its movements.

In the modification shown in the remaining figures the outer end of the sliding jaw, as well as the hook, tilts. The carriage, with the arm 13 sliding on its bed 9, is the same as before and is mounted on rails in the same way. On the other hand, the sliding jaw is somewhat different. This jaw has a long main body portion 41 slidable back and forth on the arm, and a recessed outer end portion 42 hinged to the body portion by aligned hinge pins 43 that extend through the bifurcated outer ends of the upstanding side walls of the jaw and through lugs 44 integral with the inner end of the hinged portion. Overlying the hinged jaw and extending outwardly ahead of it is a jaw hook 46, the inner end of which is provided with laterally projecting trunnions 47.

The hook can slide back and forth on the hinged jaw 42 but cannot swing up away from it because flange plates 48 secured to the hinged jaw at opposite sides of the hook overlie it. The hook can be slid back and forth on the hinged jaw by a fluid pressure cylinder 50 and piston rod 51, the former being attached to brackets on the body portion 41 of the sliding jaw and the rod being connected by a cross pin 52 to lugs 53 on the bottom of the inner end of the hook. When the hook is pushed forward, its trunnions enter notches 54 in upstanding portions of the jaw side walls and then the outer end of the hook swings up as shown in FIG. 7. Due to the connection between the hook and underlying hinged jaw, through plates 48, the hinged jaw is swung up with the hook. It is to be noted that the hook 46 as shown in FIG. 7 is allowed to descend into a position overlying the coupler (dot-dash position) by releasing the pressure in fluid pressure cylinder 50 and allowing the hook 46 to descend by the action of its own weight. In the lowered position, the piston rod 51 is retracted which pulls the jaw 46 and thus the trunnions 47 to the left as seen in FIG. 7. This capability of the hinged jaw to swing up or down a limited amount permits the hinged jaw to pass over any obstructions near the car coupler, such as air hoses. It also accommodates for main line between it and the outer end of the hook as in the first embodiment of the invention.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of myinvention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Iclaim:

1. A railroad car positioner comprising a carriage movable parallel to a line of coupled cars, a horizontally sliding jaw, means mounting the jaw on the carriage for movement transversely thereof, means for extending the jaw from the car side of the carriage, the outer end of the jaw being shaped to substantially. engage one side of the coupler between a pair of coupled cars, a jaw hook with inner and outer ends, means pivotally connecting the inner end of the hook to the sliding jaw on a transverse axis, the hook normally being inclined upwardly away from the outer end of the sliding jaw and having a downwardly projecting outer end, said pivotal means and hook being movable inwardly along the jaw, and means operative after the outer end of the hook has passed outwardly over the coupler for swinging the hook down and for moving said pivotal means and hook inwardly along the sliding jaw to pull the outer end of the hook close to the coupler.

2. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which said sliding jaw and hook are provided with interengaging members that look the hook in its lower position when it is moved inwardly.

3. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which said sliding jaw is provided with outwardly opening notches, and the hook is provided with laterally projecting lugs that enter said notches when the hook is moved inwardly, whereby the hook is locked in its lower position.

4. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which said pivotal means are trunnions projecting laterally from the inner end of the hook and said sliding jaw is provided with upwardly extending trunnion-engaging walls between the trunnions and the outer end of the sliding jaw and extending inwardly across the tops of the trunnions, and said hook-swinging means include fluid pressure means pivotally connected to the inner end of the hook below said trunnions and to the sliding jaw at a point spaced inwardly from the hook.

5. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which said mounting means include a horizontal arm slidingly mounted on said carriage, and said extending means include means secured to the carriage for extending said arm from the car side of the carriage and also means secured to the arm for extending the sliding jaw from the outer end of the arm.

6. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which the outer end portion of the sliding jaw is hinged to the rest of that jaw on a transverse axis, and said hinged end portion is provided with means overlying axis below said trunnions, and said hook-swinging means include fluid pressure means pivotally connected to the inner end of the hook below said trunnions and to the sliding jaw at a point spaced inwardly from the hook, said hinged end portion being provided with means overlying part of said hook in engagement therewith, whereby the hinged end portion of the jaw nonnally is tilted with the hook and also swings downwardly with it.

IF IF k 

1. A railroad car positioner comprising a carriage movable parallel to a line of coupled cars, a horizontally sliding jaw, means mounting the jaw on the carriage for movement transversely thereof, means for extending the jaw from the car side of the carriage, the outer end of the jaw being shaped to substantially engage one side of the coupler between a pair of coupled cars, a jaw hook with inner and outer ends, means pivotally connecting the inner end of the hook to the sliding jaw on a transverse axis, the hook normally being inclined upwardly away from the outer end of the sliding jaw and having a downwardly projecting outer end, said pivotal means and hook being movable inwardly along the jaw, and means operative after the outer end of the hook has passed outwardly over the coupler for swinging the hook down and for moving said pivotal means and hook inwardly along the sliding jaw to pull the outer end of the hook close to the coupler.
 2. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which said sliding jaw and hook are provided with interengaging members that look the hook in its lower position when it is moved inwardly.
 3. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which said sliding jaw is provided with outwardly opening notches, and the hook is provided with laterally projecting lugs that enter said notches when the hook is moved inwardly, whereby the hook is locked in its lower position.
 4. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which said pivotal means are trunnions projecting laterally from the inner end of the hook and said sliding jaw is provided with upwardly extending trunnion-engaging walls between the trunnions and the outer end of the sliding jaw and extending inwardly across the tops of the trunnions, and said hook-swinging means include fluid pressure means pivotally connected to the inner end of the hook below said trunnions and to the sliding jaw at a point spaced inwardly from the hook.
 5. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which said mounting means include a horizontal arm slidingly mounted on said carriage, and said extending means include means secured to the carriage for extending said arm from the car side of the carriage and also means secured to the arm for extending the sliding jaw from the outer end of the arm.
 6. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which the outer end portion of the sliding jaw is hinged to the rest of that jaw on a transverse axis, and said hinged end portion is provided with means overlying part of said hook in engagement therewith, whereby the hinged end portion of the jaw normally is tilted with the hook and also swings downwardly with it.
 7. A railroad car positioner according to claim 1, in which said pivotal means are trunnions projecting laterally from the inner end of the hook, and said sliding jaw is provided with upwardly extending trunnion-engaging walls between the trunnions and the outer end of the sliding jaw, and the outer end portion of the sliding jaw is hinged to the rest of that jaw on a transverse axis below said trunnions, and said hook-swinging means include fluid pressure means pivotally connected to the inner end of the hook below said trunnions and to the sliding jaw at a point spaced inwardly from the hook, said hinged end portion being provided with means overlying part of said hook in engagement therewith, whereby the hinged end portion of the jaw normally is tilted with the hook and also swings downwardly with it. 